Could Traffic Wardens and Parking Meters soon be introduced in local towns

Update: At the start of today’s Cabinet meeting the Leader explained that they had decided to postpone the item about charging for on-street parking as a number of queries have arisen.

Councillor Bob Standley said he wanted to make sure Wealden District Councillors were fully aware of the options regarding implementation before Cabinet made its response:

If on-street car parking enforcement is introduced, it will take two-three years to implement. It will not happen overnight.

Next week Councillors will consider the options for enforcing on-street parking in the district.

In Wealden and Rother parking on the roads is enforced by Sussex Police. However in recent years the police force have made it clear the matter is a low priority and they will not deal with routine parking offences, such as parking near junctions, on pavements and on double yellow lines. In 2016 the Police Commander said they would only enforce parking violations in circumstances which “present a very clear and present danger to the public”.

In all other districts of East Sussex parking has been decriminalised, and Civil Enforcement Officers (“Traffic Wardens”), employed on behalf of the East Sussex County Council (ESCC) issue parking tickets. If we were to go down this route, the County Council, as Highways Authority, would have to apply to the Department for Transport to introduce Civil Parking Enforcement in Weaden.

Since March, Wealden District Council have been working with the County Council to examine ways of introducing parking enforcement here, which would include charges for on-street parking, the introduction of residential parking permits and Traffic Wardens to enforce restrictions.

Two models of funding the scheme are being considered at the meeting of Cabinet:

Pay and Display Meters

Firstly (option 4A), to introduce pay and display meters for on-street parking. To be clear, council car parks would remain free. In Crowborough the likely areas for parking charges include roads in the town centre (Eridge Rd, Beacon Rd, Croft Rd & London Rd); sections of Whitehill Road and outside the shops on Crowborough Hill in Jarvis Brook. The suggested rate is 40 pence per half hour. 370 households in Jarvis Brook near the station would have to display parking permits (£25 each).

Town and Parish Councils

If local communities prefer to avoid parking charges, than the difference between income (from fines and permits) and the costs running the scheme would have to be funded by contributions from other sources, such as Town and Parish Councils (option 4B).

Wealden District Council’s Cabinet meet on Wednesday 13th December in Hailsham. Click to download the agenda and the reports (item 7). Appendix B shows maps of the proposed parking zones (see pages 5-8 for Crowborough). If you want to contact your District Councillor about this, or another matter, use the postcode search function: Find Your Councillor.
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Very, very dissappointed that the Council feels it must employ Traffic Wardens as this is a downward spiral. It wont stop at what the council wants, the job will escallate and before you realise we have Twenty wardens picking on everyone. No leeway. I remember it starting in London now there is an army, I also remember it starting in Crawley in some areas people cannot even park by their own houses. Spend the money wisely on bobbies on the beat. “Move on”, not an envelope with a £40 fine inside. It is so impersonal. It all starts with good intentions but rapidly hate comes to the surface and people who used to support you fade into the background not wanting to be part of the scheme. The term little hitlers as the people employed yearn for the power of a uniform but are the wrong calibre to get into the police force. The council would also be better off by encouraging crossovers by offering reduced charges for that service. Families that are already struggling would need to find money that isnt there to pay for parking permits. Sorry for the book but it seems a shame that our fairly rural community should be struck with City rules.